It concerns more particularly the production of light beams illuminating on the side of the vehicles. This means light beams illuminating in a general/average orientation oblique with respect to the longitudinal axis X of the vehicle.
It may be a case, within the meaning of the invention and non-limitingly, of the light beams emitted by optical modules for providing on bends additional lighting on the side where the vehicle is turning. This functionality is known by the term “fixed bending light”, or FBL (the English abbreviation for “fixed bending light”). It is described for example in the patent EP 864 462. The beam of the FBL is thus associated with a standard beam of the dipped type emitted by a so-called principal optical module, in order to give a global beam with a greater angular opening, the said global beam having to comply with a photometric grid defined in the current regulations concerning the so-called AFS (the abbreviation of the English term “advanced front lighting systems”) functions.
It may also be a case of the light beams providing a lighting function known by the English term “cornering”, that is to say lighting on corners, the purpose of which consists of providing more illumination on the sides of the vehicle to allow better visibility for the driver of the vehicle (lighting function) but also to enable the external environment of the vehicle to better discern the vehicle (signaling functions). This function is, by itself, defined by a specific photometric grid provided in the current regulations.
The point common to these two types of beam, “cornering” and complementary FBL beam, is that it is necessary to manage to send sufficient light on an oblique axis with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, which poses a certain number of problems, since normally the lights comprise one or more optical modules emitting light beams whose optical axis coincides more or less with the longitudinal axis X of the vehicle. (“Optical module” means a set of components comprising at least one reflector, its associated light source or sources and possibly associated optical elements of the dioptric element, Fresnel lens, etc, type) and able to emit at least one given light beam.
A first solution consists of turning inside the light the module intended to illuminate laterally with respect to the other optical modules: the normal configuration of the light is kept, with its principal modules, for example the one emitting the dipped or main beam, and the complementary FBL or “cornering” module is turned, so that its optical axis makes an angle with the optical axis of the other modules.
This solution does however have its limits: a module that is turned is more bulky inside the light, with in particular lamp connectors disposed obliquely, a reflector taking up more space. However, it is compactness that is more and more being sought in a headlight. Moreover, turning the module in this way tends to cause a loss of light flux emitted by the module: the most oblique rays have a tendency no longer to be able to leave the headlight closure glass and rather to strike the style parts which clad the optical modules and provide continuity of surface between the modules and the walls of the housing or the housing/closure glass junction zone. Therefore, according to the shape of the headlight, the amplitude of the rotation of the module is therefore more or less limited, and it is difficult to ensure that the beam emitted by the module and actually emerging from the headlight is indeed compatible with the regulations in force.
The aim of the invention is therefore to remedy the drawbacks of this first solution by proposing in particular a novel design of lateral illumination module that is in particular more flexible, has higher performance, or is less constraining with regard to the design of the headlight including the module in question.